Karongi on January 29, 2021: Yesterday, the Mayor of Karongi District, Mrs. Vestine Mukarutesi, together with the Director General of Kibuye Referral Hospital, Executive Secretary of Bwishyura Sector and other official health representatives in the Western Province, addressed IPRC Karongi students/Technical Secondary School on COVID-19.

It was with the aim of explaining all about COVID-19, the process in which it infects and spread, for students to know the facts in order to take appropriate precautions to protect themselves and others in the surrounding as new cases are rising day by day.

The guests told students that COVID-19 is a current threat to the country and the world in general which contaminated through nose droplets from infected person. Though the person with symptoms is more contagious, the infected person who have not yet developed symptoms can spread the COVID-19 as well.

There are various symptoms of COVID-19  which vary depending on the individual, but fever, dry cough and fatigue are most common symptoms. The most severe symptoms are difficulty breathing, persistent pain in the chest and high body temperature whereas loss of taste, nasal congestion, sore throat, headache, muscle pain, vomiting, diarrhea and chills may be among less common symptoms.

Students were urged to constantly follow precaution measures, as provided by health authorities, in order to stay safe and help the country to combat the pandemic. They were reminded to always maintain at least 1 meter physical distancing, proper covering mouths and noses with masks, avoiding crowds and close contact, cleaning hands frequently with soap and clean water or alcohol based hand sanitizer,  not touching eyes, nose or mouth etc.

The Mayor commended students for their politeness to follow all advices attentively, and requested them to play their role in fighting COVID-19 so that they shall meet to celebrate when the pandemic would be defeated in the near future.